1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention relate to differential amplifier circuits.
2. Background
Differential amplifiers are used to amplify differential inputs, usually small signal differentials, at any given common mode of operation. Superior performance can be achieved by the differential amplifier which exhibits higher amplification that remains consistent, constant, across a wide common mode range. Typical differential amplifiers are specified as having a Common Mode input Range (CMR) in which a given differential gain is available. Also, typical differential amplifiers are specified with a Common Mode Rejection Ratio (CMRR) which denotes the inconsistent behavior of traditional differential amplifiers at different common modes. The CMRR typically represents a differential gain (as a function of common mode) divided by the common mode gain (which varies at different common modes). To compensate for the deficiencies of limited CMR and inconsistent CMRR across the CMR, many differential amplifiers in analog and mixed-mode chips require higher voltages and inefficient increases in power to meet an adequate range of common modes for acceptable behavior. Despite an immense amount of previous efforts, traditional designs have been notoriously far from ideal, always hampered by the paradoxical bias current inherent in differential pair configurations.
Conventional differential amplifiers use a bias current through a differential transistor pair. In metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) circuits, the differential pair features matched devices with resistive loading at their drains. Increased bias current yields greater differential gain as well as greater common mode gain. Thus, changing the bias current is not a solution to the problem of optimizing the CMRR. Increasing the common mode input voltage VCM helps reduce common mode gain, thus improving CMRR. But this means that the CMR will be constrained to the xe2x80x9chighxe2x80x9d side of the power supply. Thus, a wider CMR may only be obtained at the expense of a lower CMRR. Increasing the common mode input voltage VCM helps reduce common mode gain, thus improving CMRR. But this means that the CMR will be constrained to the xe2x80x9chighxe2x80x9d side of the power supply. Thus, a wider CMR may only be obtained at the expense of a lower CMRR.
Prior differential amplifiers also have a few other limitations. Coupling a differential amplifier to a high gain stage, for instance, typically requires level shifting, thus limiting the high gain of that stage. Also the slew rate (SR) is adversely dependent upon the CMRR. That is, when the bias current is kept low for a high CMRR, the SR is decreased.
According to an embodiment of the invention, a circuit is provided that includes a first differential set and a second differential set each having a first and a second input node and a first and a second output node. The first differential set is referenced to a first supply node, and the second differential set is referenced to a second supply node. The first input node of the first differential set is coupled to the first input node of the second differential set. The second input node of the first differential set is coupled to the second input node of the second differential set. A first load element is cross coupled between the second output node of the second differential set and the first output node of the first differential set. A second load element is cross coupled between the second output node of the first differential set and the first output node of the second differential set.